By Yoon Chul
Staff Reporter

The Kia Tigers will look to take another step in their long climb back to the top of Korean Baseball and try to take a commanding 3-0 lead over the SK Wyverns in Game 3 of the Korean Series Monday.

The Tigers, who won the first two games of the best-of-seven Korean Series at home in Gwangju, will now go on the road for Game 3 at Munhak Stadium in Incheon.

The Wyverns will be looking to climb back into the series on their home field, but manager Kim Sung-keun may have a difficult time in regrouping his exhausted squad.

Through the first two games, the Tigers bullpen is still well-rested. Starter Aquilino Lopez went eight strong in the first game and Yoon Suk-min lasted seven innings in the Tigers 2-1 win in Game 2.

The Wyverns' bullpen, meanwhile, has been busy. Kim has had to use seven relievers in the first two games, as Song Eun-bum went only 4 1/3 innings in Game 2 and Ken Kadokura tossed five innings in his Game 1 start.

The Tigers have succeeded in wearing down the Wyverns in one of their biggest areas of strength - their bullpen. The Incheon-based club is also still dealing with the effects of a brutal five-game second round series with the Doosan Bears.

Lefthander Ko Hyo-jin, usually their most reliable reliever, has struggled greatly, giving up three big runs in 3 1/3 innings, on two hits and five walks in two Korean Series games.

To make matters worse, another key reliever, Yoon Kil-hyun and import starter Gary Glover have also struggled.

"Yoon has a sore back, and Glover is tired, but he may pitch in Incheon," Wyverns boss Kim said.

While the Wyverns find themselves in a tough situation with pitching, one of the biggest reasons for their woes has been a lack of concentration at the plate. They generated 10 hits and two walks in Game 2 but only put up one run.

The Tigers got more with less, scoring two runs on five hits.

The Wyverns simply couldn't bring in their runners in scoring position. In the sixth inning of Game 2, Lee Ho-jun came up with runners on first and second but hit into a double play to end the inning.

They also got runners on first and second in both the first and second innings but couldn't bring anyone home.

"The batters did not play well and couldn't take advantage of the chances they had to score runs. That's the luck of the game. We were unlucky," the 66-year-old Wyverns manager said.

Another major storyline has been the play of each team's veterans. The Wyverns' Lee Ho-jun, Park Jae-hong and Kim Jae-hyun, a trio that was a big part of the team's previous championships, have been a combined 1-for-14 overall in the series.

Meanwhile, Tigers 39-year-old Lee Jong-bum has gone 3-for-6 with three RBIs. All three of those RBIs came in Game 1, including the game winner in the eighth.

"They don't seem to be playing their best," Tigers manager Cho Bum-hyun said of his team's opponent.

"But the Wyverns have lots of energy. They have enough strength to generate four wins in a row after losing two games.

"We are not going to lose our concentration," added Cho.

In Saturday's game, Tigers starter Yoon pitched deep into the game and Choi Hee-seop had an RBI double in the fourth and a run-scoring single in the sixth.

The Wyverns only run came on a solo shot by catcher Jeong Sang-ho with one out in the ninth inning.

The Wyverns pushed for the tying run, but with a runner on third and the Wyverns down to their final out, Park Jae-hong struck out to end the game.

The Tigers will send import starter Rick Guttormson to the mound in Game 3 while the Wyverns will counter with Glover.

yc@koreatimes.co.kr